Google search arrives in iMessage on iOS

The Google search now available in iMessage. In an attempt to further integrate Google's search engine on iOS devices, the company announced today that its iOS search app has added an iMessage extension, allowing iPhone and iPad users to search the web.

The Google search now available in iMessage. In an attempt to further integrate Google's search engine on iOS devices, the company announced today that its iOS search app has added an iMessage extension, allowing iPhone and iPad users to search the web for then be able to quickly add search results to iMessage conversations.

Google search on iMessage

The extension itself clearly inspired by Google's experiments with Gboard, the Google keyboard app for iOS devices, and it comes at a time when the popularity of alternative iOS keyboards seems to be on the decline. For example, Nuance has just given up its Swype keyboard app; and Swiftkey had left Microsoft a couple of years ago.

With the Google iMessage extension, users can type a queries, a Google search in the search box or tap a button below for a specific type of search, such as Weather, Food, Proximity (places / businesses), Trends (news) or Videos.

Google search in iMessage: restaurants

Google highlights restaurant search in particular, since deciding where to eat a common theme in iMessage chats. By tapping "Nearby" you can quickly view lists of commercial activities or points of interest near your current location, also useful when you talk about a specific location.

Google search in iMessage also Social

Each search result includes a "Share" button which, when touched, adds the item directly into an iMessage conversation as a tab. When the recipient touches the card, it is directed directly to the Google search result.

Google search for iMessage: GIF

In addition, the Google iMessage app offers a search engine for animated GIFs. available by tapping the "GIF" button to the right of the search box, which will immediately load a selection of GIFs that can be further filtered by performing a search.

The GIF search is a popular feature in Gboard, following the update of the app last year.

In iMessage the features of Google GBoard

Making Gboard features available via an iMessage extension makes sense because not everyone wants to replace their default keyboard on their iOS device.

In addition, it offers Google another way to reach users on iOS, even when they are not in the Google app itself. This is important because the costs of acquiring Google traffic have increased due to the move to mobile devices, where apps and assistants like Siri provide an answer to many of the responses to users who turned to Google once on the desktop. Google also has to pay billions to Apple for being the default search engine on iOS.

How to install Google Search for iMessage

The app, like other iMessage extensions, available by tapping the app drawer in iMessage, then scrolling to the Google app icon. (If you have already installed many iMessage apps, it may be hidden under "Other".)

The iMessage extension is one of the three new features that Google has announced for iOS users.

Google search in iOS

Google has also added two more featuresand integrate its search engine into iOS in new ways. A new option for sharing: now, when you share a web page from Safari with Google, you will also show suggestions for related content. The new feature Share with Google, it makes sense as the idea to switch from a Safari web page directly to a set of Google search results on the topic.

new support for drag and drop on the iPad is also new. You can use the function to move text, images and links to and from the Google app, share articles from Google in iMessage or save them in Notes for later reading.

Google Search in iMessage: availability

All features are now available, but the extension for iMessage currently available only in the United States.